Joint statement: Equal Education and the Equal Education Law Centre mark Transport Month by calling for safe, reliable and equitable scholar transport for all learners
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23 October 2025

Joint statement: Equal Education and the Equal Education Law Centre mark Transport Month by calling for safe, reliable and equitable scholar transport for all learners

October is Transport Month in South Africa, a time to reflect on how safe and reliable transport connects people to education, work and opportunity. As we observe this important month, Equal Education (EE) and the Equal Education Law Centre (EELC) reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that every learner can travel to school safely, reliably, and with dignity. Access to scholar transport is not a privilege, but a fundamental part of the right to basic education, particularly for learners from disadvantaged backgrounds. Yet, year after year, many learners have no choice but to walk unsafe and exhausting distances, often more than 10km each way, just to attend school.

Over the years, Equalisers (EE learner members), post-school youth, and community members in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) have been at the forefront of our scholar transport campaign. Through their persistent activism, we secured the KZN Learner Transport Policy, a hard-won victory at the time. However, it has become increasingly clear that the policy is not being effectively implemented by the KZN Department of Education (KZNDoE) and Transport (KZNDoT) to ensure the safety and well-being of learners. These shortcomings have revealed serious systemic failures, including inconsistent provision of transport, poor coordination between the two departments, and weak oversight of service providers. 

EE and the EELC are deeply concerned by the state of scholar transport in KZN. It is unacceptable that meaningful safety regulations are only enforced by the KZNDoE and KZNDoT following tragic incidents in which learners have lost their lives or suffered life-changing injuries. Harm that could have been prevented had existing rules been properly implemented.

“The bus stops at five different areas every morning and becomes overcrowded. About 200 learners ride in one bus. On the bus we sit uncomfortably and you can’t even move a hand until you reach school. Our lives are in danger because accidents happen often and we are always scared when we go to school. Sometimes, some learners can’t get on the bus because it’s too full and they end up walking all the way to school. Most of the time I feel unsafe when going to school because  of the condition of the transport and drivers speed on the road as they rush to pick up learners from other areas.” –  Learner from Nhlalakahle Secondary School

Despite repeated commitments from the government, thousands of learners remain excluded from the scholar transport programme. Many learners continue to walk long and unsafe distances due to administrative delays, budget cuts, and poor planning. In both KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, transport providers have reported non-payment, resulting in suspended services and leaving learners stranded. Such challenges compromise learners’ safety and access to education, reflecting a broader failure to prioritise the rights and welfare of learners in rural and marginalised communities.

“Getting to school feels like luck, the chances of accidents are very high with the transport we use. The Government does not care about our wellbeing and our lives as learners. My wish is for us to have more buses so that we can travel safely and comfortably to school.” – EE learner member.

Learner safety remains a pressing concern that requires urgent action. Overcrowded and unroadworthy vehicles, unqualified drivers, and a lack of adult supervision remain widespread and demand immediate intervention. EE and the EELC calls on the KZNDoE and the KZNDoT to immediately:

  1. Strengthen transport oversight and enforcement, ensuring that all scholar transport vehicles are roadworthy and comply with road safety regulations so that learners are transported with dignity and care.
  2. Enforce consequences for service providers who neglect learner safety.
  3. Allocate sufficient and equitable funding so that all qualifying learners have access to reliable and safe transport.
  4. Improve coordination between the two departments.

The current scholar transport implementation system fails the very children it is meant to serve. Safe and reliable scholar transport must not be a privilege for a few but a basic right guaranteed to all learners, regardless of where they live. Despite efforts to improve the system, the demand for scholar transport far exceeds the available resources, leaving thousands of learners vulnerable and excluded. As we mark  Transport Month, we call on government to act with urgency, transparency, and accountability to deliver a scholar transport system that protects lives and supports learning. 

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